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| Here are a few suggestions
to incorporate into your El Día de los Niños celebration. |
Altars
Many Latino cultures use altars to commemorate
a person or an important event in the community. Create an altar
to commemorate young Americans, emphasizing achievements, heritage
passed on by ancestors, youth that died through gang violence,
drunk drivers,
illness, etc. |
Art Activities
Use art to encourage children to express
themselves. Emphasize particular themes such as heroes in the
community, family celebrations, and healthy communities. This
could lead to a mural project sponsored by the city. |
Artisan Folk Festivals
Plan a day where children can learn traditional
folk art skills such as pottery, weaving, carving, or whistle
making. Combine the day with a study of contemporary arts such
as Oaxacan wood carving, Zapotec rugs, Peruvian gourd carving,
Puerto Rican santeros, Panamanian casitas, Venezuelan máscaras,
etc. |
Book Festivals
Work with your local library or bookstores
to schedule a book festival in a park or a mall. Encourage them
to feature Latino authors and bilingual books so that children
can learn about the culture. Invite authors for special readings
or, for younger children, visits by story characters. |
Card Making
Set up an arts and crafts workstation for
children to make handmade cards and posters about what the day
means to them. |
Cascarones festival
Cascarones are fun for children (and adults!) of all ages. Have
a festival for children to share the history and traditions of
cascarones. Children can donate the hollowed eggs for everyone
to decorate. |
Concert in the Park
Music is an integral part of Latino culture. Plan alcohol-free
concerts in the park that are free for children and youth if a
parent or guardian accompanies them. Music should be appropriate
for the whole family. |
Faith-Based Messages
Send letters to all faith-based organizations inviting them to
include messages to their congregation about the importance and
value of children in their families. |
Milagro Exhibits
Milagritos have been used for centuries to ask for the quick recovery
of a sick person or the safe return of a traveler, or by parents
asking for the best for their children. Invite the young people
in your community to create their own milagros out of paper, popsicle
sticks and other materials. They can glue a photograph of themselves
on the milagro or draw a picture. Ask them to write a wish, dream,
goal, or desire for the future, either for themselves or the community.
Hang the milagros on an exhibit in a public place and encourage
the community to read them. Use the exhibit to gather ideas for
new projects in the community. |
Paper Hat Competition
and Parade
Invite the community to design outrageous paper hats and enter
them in a competition and parade. Invite local celebrities or
honored elders to judge the competition. |
Storytelling
Latinos have a rich oral history that is slowly disappearing.
Create a yearlong program in which children and youth interview
elders in the community and record their stories. Work with a
local radio or television station to make a series of stories.
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